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children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven

thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Ge. vi. 5. The imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth. Ge. viii. 21. How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water? Job xv. 16. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? Je. xvii. 9. What then? are we better than they? no, in no wise; for we have before proved, both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin. As it is written, There is none righteous; no, not one. There is none that understandeth; there is none that seeketh after God; they are all gone out of the way; they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good; no, not one: their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit, the poison of asps is under their lips, whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; their feet are swift to shed blood; destruction and misery are in their ways, and the way of peace have they not known; there is no fear of God before their eyes. Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Ro. iii. 9–19. But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. Ga. iii. 23. You hath "he" ("Jesus") quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins, wherein, in time past, ye walked according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience; among whom also we all had our conversation in times past, in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. Ep. ii. 1, 2. 3. We ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. Ti. iii. 3.

How much more shall your Father.] The Lord passed by before him (Moses), and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth; keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, and transgression, and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third andto the fourth generation. Ex. xxxiv. 6, 7. Who am I, O Lord God? and what is my house (said David), that thou hast brought me hitherto ? And this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord God; but thou hast spoken also of thy servant's house for a great while to come: and is this the manner of man? 2 Sa. vii. 18, 19. Thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive, and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call

And

upon thee. Thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long-suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth. Ps. lxxxvi. 5. 15. As the heaven is high above the earth, s great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. Ps. ciii. 11, 12, 13. Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Is. xlix. 15. Thus saith the Lord, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not, for a blessing is in it; so will I do for my servants' sakes, that I may not destroy them all. I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains; and mine elect shall inherit, and my servants shall dwell there. Is. lxv. 8, 9. How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee, Israel? how shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I set thee as Zeboim? Mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together: I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger; I will not return to destroy Ephraim: for I am God and not man, the holy One in the midst of thee: and I will not enter into the city. Ho. xi. 8, 9. Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. Mi. vii. 18. A son honoureth kis father, and a servant his master; if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name; and ye say, The table of the Lord is contemptible. Mal. i. 6. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, shall he for a fish give him a serpent? or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? if ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him. Lu. xi. 11, 12, 13. God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John iii. 16. God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us; much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him: for if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. Ro. v. 8, 9, 10. He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Ro. viii. 32.

give good things to them that ask him? Therefore all things 12 whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them for this is the Law and the Prophets. Enter ye in at 13

For God, who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ (by grace ye are saved). Ep. ii. 4, 5. Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 1 John iii. 1. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 1 John iv. 10.

Good things, &c.] The Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. Ps. lxxxiv. 11. Yea, the Lord shall give that which is good, and our land shall yield her increase. Ps. lxxxv. 12. Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel, and to the house of Judah. Je. xxxiii. 14. Take with you words, and turn to the Lord; say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips. Ho. xiv. 2. And the angel said unto "them" (" the shepherds abiding in the fields"), Fear not, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people for unto you is born this day in the city of David (Bethlehem), a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. Lu. ii. 10, 11. If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him. Lu. xi. 13. God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that ye always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work, (as it is written, He hath dispersed abroad, he hath given to the poor, his righteousness remaineth for ever,) being enriched in every good thing to all bountifulness, which causeth to us thanksgiving to God. Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. 2 Co. ix. 815. The kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which he shed on us abundantly, through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Tit. iii. 4-7.

12 All things whatsoever ye would, &c.] As ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. Lu. vi. 31.

For this is the law and the prophets.] The second (commandment) is like unto "it" ("the

first"), Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy-
self. On these two commandments hang all
the law and the prophets. Mat. xxii. 39, 40.
Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge
against the children of thy people; but thou
shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the
Lord. Le. xix. 18. Learn to do well; seek
judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the
fatherless, plead for the widow.
Come now,
and let us reason together, saith the Lord:
Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be
as white as snow; though they be red like
crimson, they shall be as wool. Is. i. 17, 18.
For if ye throughly amend your ways and
your doings; if ye throughly execute judg-
ment between a man and his neighbour; if ye
oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and
the widow, and shed not innocent blood in
this place, neither walk after other gods to
your hurt, then will I cause you to dwell in
this place, in the land that I gave to your
fathers, for ever and ever. Je. vii. 5, 6, 7.
If a man hath not oppressed any, but hath
restored to the debtor his pledge, hath spoiled
none by violence, hath given his bread to the
hungry, and hath covered the naked with a
garment; he that hath not given forth upon
usury, neither hath taken any increase, that
hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath
executed true judgment between man and man,
bath walked in my statutes, and hath kept
my judgments to deal truly; he is just, he
shall surely live, saith the Lord God. But if
the wicked will turn from all his sins that he
hath committed, and keep all my statutes,
and do that which is lawful and right, he
shall surely live, he shall not die. Ez. xviii.
7, 8, 9. 21. Seek good, and not evil, that
ye may live, and so the Lord, the God of hosts,
shall be with you. Hate the evil, and love
the good, and establish judgment in the gate.
Am. v. 14, 15. He (the Lord) hath shewed
thee, O man, what is good, and what doth
the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and
to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy
God? Mi. vi. 8. Thus speaketh the Lord
God of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment,
and shew mercy and compassion every man
to his brother: and oppress not the widow,
nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor;
and let none of you imagine evil against his
brother in your heart. Zec. vii. 8, 9, 10.
These are the things that ye shall do; Speak
ye every man the truth to his neighbour;
execute the judgment of truth and peace in
your gates, and let none of you imagine mis-
chief in your hearts against his neighbour,
and love no false oath; for all these are things
that I hate, saith the Lord. Zec. viii. 16, 17.
I will come near to you to judgment, and I

the strait gate for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that

will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those who oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me; saith the Lord of hosts. Mal. iii. 5. The first of all the commandments (said Jesus) is, Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord; and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength; this is the first commandment, and the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself; there is none other commandment greater than these. And the Scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth; for there is one God, and there is none other but he; and to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices. And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God! Mar. xii. 29-34. Owe no man any thing, but to love one another; for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not bear false witness, thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. Ro. xiii. 8, 9, 10. For brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another: for all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Ga. v. 13, 14. The end of the commandment is charity, out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned. 1 Ti. i. 5. For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. For he shall have judgment without mercy that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment. Ja. ii. 11, 12, 13. 13 At the strait gate.] See chap. iii. 2. 8. Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them; and said, Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Mat. xviii. 2, 3. Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! ye shut up the kingdom of heaven

against men; for ye neither go in yourselves,
neither suffer ye them that are entering to go
in. Mat. xxiii. 13. Forsake the foolish, and
live; and go in the way of understanding.
Pr. ix. 6. Let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and
let him return unto the Lord, and he will
have mercy upon him, and to our God, for he
will abundantly pardon. Is. Iv. 7. Again,
when the wicked man turneth away from his
wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth
that which is lawful and right, he shall save
his soul alive; because he considereth, and
turneth away from all his transgressions that
he hath committed, he shall surely live, he
shall not die. Yet, saith the house of Israel,
The way of the Lord is not equal. O house of
Israel, are not my ways equal? And are not
your ways unequal? Therefore I will judge
you, O house of Israel, every one according
to his ways, saith the Lord God; Repent and
turn yourselves from all your transgressions;
so iniquity shall not be your ruin. Cast away
from you all your transgressions, whereby ye
have transgressed; and make you a new
heart and a new spirit. For why will ye die,
O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure
in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord
God. Wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.
Ez. xviii. 27-32. If any man will come
after me (said Jesus) let him deny himself,
and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Lu. ix. 23. Strive to enter in at the strait
gate; for many, I say unto you, will seek to
enter in, and shall not be able. Lu. xiii. 24.
When once the master of the house is risen
up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to
stand without, and to knock at the door, say.
ing, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall
answer and say unto you, I know you not
whence ye are. Then shall ye begin to say,
&c. Lu. xiii. 25. Whosoever he be of you
that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot
be my disciple. Lu. xiv. 33. I am the door
(said Jesus); by me, if any man enter in, he
shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and
find pasture. John x. 9. I am the way, and
the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto
the Father but by me. John xiv. 6. Repent,
and be baptized, every one of you, in the
name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of
sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy
Ghost: for the promise is unto you, and to
your children, and to all that are afar off, even
as many as the Lord our God shall call
with many other words did he testify and
exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this un-
toward generation. Ac. ii. 38, 39, 40. Re-
pent ye therefore, and be converted, that your
sins may be blotted out, when the times of
refreshing shall come from the presence of the
Lord. Ac. iii. 19. Wherefore come out from
among them, and be ye separate, saith the

and

leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth 14

Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. 2 Co. vi. 17. They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh, with the affections and lusts. Ga. v. 24. See chap. xx. 16.

For wide is the gate.] And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And God looked upon the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. Ge. vi. 5. 12. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works; there is none that doeth good. The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. Ps. xiv. 1, 2. Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah. Is. i. 9. Now we know, that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight; for by the law is the knowledge of sin. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God, being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law. Ro. iii. 19–31. If our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. 2 Co. iv. 34. You hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins, Wherein in time past ye walked, according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience. Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh, and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. Ep. ii. 1.2, 3. We know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness. 1 John v. 19. The great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world; he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Re. xii. 9. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb lain from the foundation of the

world. Re. xiii. 8. And (the angel having the key of the bottomless pit) cast him (the old serpent, the Devil) into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years should be fulfilled ; and after that he must be loosed a little season. Re. xx. 3.

That leadeth to destruction.] Then shall "he" ("the King," in the day of Judgment) say unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil and his angels. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal. Mat. xxv. 41. 46. Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death. Pr. vii. 27. There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. Pr. xvi. 25. What, if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endureth with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction, &c. Ro. ix. 22. Many walk, of whom I have told you often, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things. Phi. iii. 18, 19. It is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power. 2 Th. i. 6-9. The time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God. And if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the Gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? 1 Pe. iv. 17, 18. Whosoever was not found written in the book of life, was cast into the lake of fire. Re. xx. 15.

14 And narrow is the way.] If any man will come after me (said Jesus), let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. Mat. xvi. 24, 25. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand, nor to the left; remove thy foot from evil. Pr. iv. 26, 27. "I" (" wisdom") lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment. Pr. viii. 20. Thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it; when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left. Is. xxx. 21. And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called, The way of

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